Gordon Goldstein, author of "Lessons in Disaster: McGeorge Bundy and the Path to War in Vietnam," describes current U.S. military strategy in the war in Afghanistan and notes several similarities between this war and the Vietnam War.

Discussion Questions

1. How long has the U.S. been at war in Afghanistan? Mr. Goldstein states that six months ago the U.S. defined a new strategy. What is the strategy? According to Mr. Goldstein, has that new strategy been successful or unsuccessful?
2. What is “population protection”? Why does Mr. Goldstein suggest that this may be difficult to achieve in Afghanistan? Research and define the terms “counter-insurgency” and “nation building.”
3. List the four parallels that Mr. Goldstein makes between the Vietnam War and the war in Afghanistan. Do you agree or disagree with his comparisons? Why? Do you find his comparisons helpful in better understanding either war?
4. In a memo dated August 30, 2009, it was reported that the U.S. Commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, requested that the president increase the number of troops in Afghanistan by as many as thirty to forty thousand. If you were president, what approach would you take? Why?
5. Explain how this clip illustrates political participation.